I could see the gender topic mushrooming on the horizon. I was resigned to it. I have a short paragraph on mental speed dial for when it inevitably comes up so I can jump on the fastest plane to ‘next topic, please’…but this time I surprised myself: “I think I’d like to do a piece on my experience as a woman in the software world.”

I’ve been lucky. By and large, I haven’t run into any major disadvantages or advantages to being a woman in the software field. I feel like that’s a story not told enough in the debate, where the experience is just like anything else in life: some good, some bad, overall average.

My parents encouraged and enabled my interest in computers and tech when I was young. What I perceived as playtime was actually building my skill set: Age 12 or so, I was making pixel art modifications (colourful fantasy ponies) and writing scripts for an ancient 2D game called Furcadia; its ‘Dragonspeak’ scripting language let you write simple trigger/response scripts (i.e. play this sound when the player steps on this object, or teleport the player to these coordinates).

Not long after, I was putting together a new computer with my dad; an old, black Compaq the size of a bulky school binder, so I could play this awesome game called Morrowind, in which I dabbled with mods and map building.

So really it was a no-brainer that I ended up in the field. It’s what I did for fun. It’s also why I didn’t realize that there was a gender ratio problem in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) until I finally chose a major and my dad said, “Well, you’ll have an advantage being a girl in computer science.”

That was a mind boggle. Really? Was it true? Did my gender alone give me an advantage? So I started paying attention.

From Freshman To Bachelor, To First Full-time Job

The first year of my degree program touted about 120 students. In that first freshman class of naive hopefuls I remember five women, self included. Starting ratio: One out of 24 students, female, or 4.67 percent. Okay, yeah, so maybe there weren’t a lot of us, but my only real complaint is one you’d hear anywhere with that ratio of hormonal males; I had to tolerate and ignore a lot pick up lines ranging from so smooth I wasn’t sure if it was actually a pick up line to catastrophically bad. (“I know you’ll realize that I’m the superior choice for a boyfriend. My IRC friend agrees.” True story.)

By graduation, there were only eight students to claim their Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development. I was the only female. Not surprisingly, we were a pretty tight knit group; we all had mutual respect for ‘making it’ and my gender wasn’t a big deal.

If anything, the lack of contention let me cultivate an ignorant pride in my birthright singularity. I had excellent teachers that rightly didn’t care about gender, and it certainly helped that one of my teachers, Dana Wortman, was herself a successful comp sci female. There were two female engineering department teaching staff among about ten, which, of course, I took as more proof of my confronting the status quo, which is always a nice ego boost. Vive la femmes-in-tech revolution!

My career future was assured.

That confidence in this gender-driven edge carried me to my first full time job. On a flight back from Washington, D.C., I was telling my seat neighbor that I’d left my last job because I witnessed unethical client interaction practices. As we were taxiing to the runway, the man in front of us turned around with business card extended. “You’re a programmer? Here’s my card. Email me your resumé.”

It was the CEO of BombBomb, Connor McCluskey. Knowing him as I do now, I’m sure he would have done the same thing for any programmer espousing business ethics, regardless of gender, but at the time I felt like my ticket was in being female.

I loved my job at BombBomb. Our game dev team was tiny (five people total!) and we got along great; we were all young, suitably nerdy and all played video games. Any discomfort I felt with them, or the office at large, I dismissed as my being “too sensitive.”

That in and of itself was a clear outward sign to anyone looking in, but at the time, those hangups were just “something I had to get over.” Don’t get me wrong, they were fantastic people. There are only a few times I recall being uncomfortable about something that might not have been office-appropriate. Like the time I was explaining database “sharding” to our giggling customer service team. They thought I had said “sharting.” Gross.

Impostor Syndrome: Little Sister Or Nagger?

When the new-job euphoria wore off, my thinly grasped gender pride took a paranoid turn. I wasn’t surrounded by awesome teachers and peers who didn’t make any deal of my gender, but instead by people surprised and curious to see me on the development side of the building, and this nagged at me. Made me self-conscious. When my comments or criticisms were dismissed, I started wondering if it was because I was a junior programmer, or because I was female. I had sort of taken on the little sister vibe. Maybe they’d settled for a sub-par hire just because I was a girl?

I was experiencing a mild case of “impostor syndrome,” though I didn’t know it until I watched footage of Sabrina Farmer’s presentation at the 2012 USENIX WiAC summit. Irresponsibly, I can’t remember who linked me the video. I was skeptical and hesitant going in; the presentation is cringingly labeled ‘Overcoming My Biggest Roadblock, Myself’, and historically I’m not big on embracing and exposing one’s emotions.

I’m still not sure how I feel about her presentation. Her vulnerability makes my teeth ache and I really can’t relate to the mommy-hood spiel, but I can’t deny the impact of seeing someone so undeniably successful talk about her struggles like it was okay to have them.

As a result of her presentation, I took an interest in the subject of women in a male-dominated industry. I started reading about why people thought women weren’t going into STEM careers. Claims that we’re more susceptible to feelings of guilt. That we’re less likely to interrupt, or doggedly defend a stance. That this adherence to social etiquette/pressures make us easy targets for being talked-over or ignored. That we’re more likely to show embarrassment in the face of crude humor. That we’re more sensitive to our work environment surroundings, so, “yes, please” to the pretty coloured tissue box and a potted plant – but wait, never-mind, we don’t want the attention and judgments it might bring. (I had a plant and an owl mug. Don’t sacrifice the small joys in fear of possibility. A lot of my coworkers liked my owl mug.)

Most of these claims rang fairly true, though fortunately for me, to a much milder extent than some of the horror stories.

I feel guilt, for sure. Anything remotely my business (even something brought up casually) was now my problem and I had to fix it or oh-my-goodness-I-would-disappoint-the-world-and/or-my-coworker.

Both options were equally bad. While this attitude made me the preferred go-to for anyone outside the department (and who doesn’t love popularity), I had to get over it pretty quick to avoid burning out. I had to learn to say ‘I can’t help you right now’ and not feel like I’d personally let this person down. Apparently, that’s one of the things women are less prone than men to do: Say “No” when they really should.

]]>Impostor Syndrome: How I Fool My Bosses, and You TooAre We Creating An Insecure Internet of Things (IoT)? Security Challenges and ConcernsIoETechnologyStartupPan ProjectThu, 14 Apr 2016 14:20:11 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2016/4/14/are-we-creating-an-insecure-internet-of-things-iot-security-challenges-and-concerns52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:570fa391c2ea515f660569bcThe Internet of Things (IoT) has been an industry buzzword for years, but
sluggish development and limited commercialization have led some industry
watchers to start calling it the “Internet of NoThings”. Double puns aside,
IoT development is in trouble. Aside from spawning geeky jokes unfit for
most social occasions, the hype did not help; and, in fact, I believe it
actually caused a lot more harm than good. There are a few problems with
IoT, but all the positive coverage and baseless hype are one we could do
without.

Is the Internet of Things just a dying buzzword with no real steam? How much of the potential is actually possible? What re the challenges? Vermin Hajdarbegovic takes-on some of the questions around IoT and IoT security in this Article originally appeared on toptal.com.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been an industry buzzword for years, but sluggish development and limited commercialization have led some industry watchers to start calling it the “Internet of NoThings”.

Double puns aside, IoT development is in trouble. Aside from spawning geeky jokes unfit for most social occasions, the hype did not help; and, in fact, I believe it actually caused a lot more harm than good. There are a few problems with IoT, but all the positive coverage and baseless hype are one we could do without. The upside of generating more attention is clear: more investment, more VC funding, more consumer interest.

However, these come with an added level of scrutiny, which has made a number of shortcomings painfully obvious. After a couple of years of bullish forecasts and big promises, IoT security seems to be the biggest concern. The first few weeks of 2015 were not kind to this emerging industry, and most of the negative press revolved around security.

Was it justified? Was it just “fear, uncertainty and doubt” (FUD), brought about by years of hype? It was a bit of both; although some issues may have been overblown, the problems are very real, indeed.

From “Year Of IoT” To Annus Horribilis For IoT

Many commentators described 2015 as “the year of IoT,” but so far, it has been a year of bad press. Granted, there are still ten months to go, but negative reports keep piling on. Security firm Kaspersky recently ran a damning critique of IoT security challenges, with an unflattering headline, “Internet of Crappy Things”.

Kaspersky is no stranger to IoT criticism and controversy; the firm has been sounding alarm bells for a while, backing them up with examples of hacked smart homes, carwashes and even police surveillance systems. Whether a hacker wants to wash their ride free of charge, or stalk someone using their fitness tracker – IoT security flaws could make it possible.

Wind River published a white paper on IoT security in January 2015, and the report starts off with a sobering introduction. Titled Searching For The Silver Bullet, it summarizes the problem in just three paragraphs, which I will condense into a few points:

Security must be the foundational enabler for IoT.

There is currently no consensus on how to implement security in IoT on the device.

A prevalent, and unrealistic, expectation is that it is somehow possible to compress 25 years of security evolution into novel IoT devices.

There is no silver bullet that can effectively mitigate the threats.

However, there is some good news; the knowledge and experience are already here, but they have to be adapted to fit the unique constraints of IoT devices.

U.S. Federal Trade Commission chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, addressed the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, warning that embedding sensors into everyday devices, and letting them record what we do, could pose a massive security risk.

She urged companies to enhance privacy and built secure IoT devices by adopting a security-focused approach, reducing the amount of data collected by IoT devices, and increasing transparency and providing consumers with a choice to opt-out of data collection.

Ramirez went on to say that developers of IoT devices have not spent time thinking about how to secure their devices and services from cyberattacks.

“The small size and limited processing power of many connected devices could inhibit encryption and other robust security measures,” said Ramirez. “Moreover, some connected devices are low-cost and essentially disposable. If a vulnerability is discovered on that type of device, it may be difficult to update the software or apply a patch – or even to get news of a fix to consumers.”

While Ramirez is spot on in most respects, I should note that the Internet went through a similar phase two decades ago. There were a lot of security concerns, and the nineties saw the emergence of the internet-borne malware, DDoS attacks, sophisticated phishing and more. Even though Hollywood depicted a dystopian future in some films, we have ended up with kittens on social networks and a high-profile security breach here and there.

The Internet is still not secure, so we can’t expect IoT to be secure, either. However, security is constantly evolving to meet new challenges, we’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again, with IoT and subsequent connected technologies.

IoT Hardware Is And Will Remain A Problem

Some of you will be thinking that the hardware issues mentioned by the FTC boss will be addressed; yes, some of them probably will.

As the IoT market grows, we will see more investment, and as hardware matures, we will get improved security. Chipmakers like Intel and ARM will be keen to offer better security with each new generation, since security could be a market differentiator, allowing them to grab more design wins and gain a bigger share.

Technology always advances, so why not? New manufacturing processes generally result in faster and more efficient processors, and sooner or later, the gap will close, thus providing developers with enough processing power to implement better security features. However, I am not so sure this is a realistic scenario.

First of all IoT chips won’t be big money-makers since they are tiny and usually based on outdated architectures. For example, the first-generation Intel Edison platform is based on Quark processors, which essentially use the same CPU instruction set and much of the design of the ancient Pentium P54C. However, the next-generation Edison microcomputer is based on a much faster processor, based on Atom Silvermont cores, which is in many Windows and Android tablets, today. (Intel shipped ~46m Bay Trail SoCs in 2014.)

On the face of it, we could end up with relatively modern 64-bit x86 CPU cores in IoT devices, but they won’t come cheap, they will still be substantially more complex than the smallest ARM cores, and therefore will need more battery power.

Cheap and disposable wearables, which appear to be the FTC’s biggest concern, won’t be powered by such chips, at least, not anytime soon. Consumers may end up with more powerful processors, such as Intel Atoms or ARMv8 chips, in some smart products, like smart refrigerators or washing machines with touchscreens, but they are impractical for disposable devices with no displays and with limited battery capacity.

Selling complete platforms, or reference designs for various IoT devices, could help chipmakers generate more revenue, while at the same time introduce more standardisation and security. The last thing the industry needs is more unstandardized devices and more fragmentation. This may sound like a logical and sound approach, since developers would end up with fewer platforms and more resources would be allocated for security, however, security breaches would also affect a bigger number of devices.

]]>Are We Creating An Insecure Internet of Things (IoT)? Security Challenges and ConcernsThis StartUp is Giving Girls a Leg Up in Tech Business TechnologyStartupGhanaTenford ChitananaThu, 14 May 2015 11:29:05 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/sonkoro/womenintech52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:55477735e4b01a9d5ad9c0dbIn Akan dialect, Soronko means ‘different’ and the company is doing just
that, standing out in providing quality services to its clients. The
company sees its purpose as that of creating and managing enterprises that
apply technology to promote social development. Sonkoro has developed an
app for the deaf , "the signing monkey".By Kate Sem-Ackah

Tech Needs Girls coding class. Credit Sonkoro Solutions

For a very long time, Girls have been made to believe that the fields of science innovation and technology are only reserved for boys and that its ok for boys and men to dominate the world of technology. This situation has challenged Regina Agyare, an Ashesi University alumna and a fellow at the Aspen Institute, to change the status quo. Her motivation was born from watching a scene with a rocket launch on television. This singular scene ignited a passion to be the first African woman to launch a rocket into space! She therefore decided to study Computer Science, graduating first in her class at Ashesi University in Ghana.

"Ghanaian women and girls are lagging behind in developing IT skills" -Regina Agyare

From being Employed to Being an Employer

Regina Agyare - Credit: GUBA Awards

After university, Regina worked in various institutions in Ghana including Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank as Product Manager for E-business, and Management and Information Systems Supervisor respectively. Driven by her passion for technology and unfulfilled by her behind-the-desk job, Regina set out to spearhead Ghanaian women’s involvement in technology leadership. In March 2012, after six years in the banking/technology industry, she started Soronko Solutions, a software development and social enterprise startup that works across different channels; web, mobile, POS and ATM to solve problems.

In Akan dialect, Soronko means ‘different’ and the company is doing just that, standing out in providing quality services to its clients. The company sees its purpose as that of creating and managing enterprises that apply technology to promote social development. Sonkoro has developed an app for the deaf , "the signing monkey".

UN/ITU Tech Needs Girls

Tech Needs Girls coding class Credit: Soronko Solutions

Regina founded Tech Needs Girls in Ghana, a program that mentors girls to lead and innovate by learning to code and invent using technology. Tech Needs Girls is a global initiative at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which ensures that more girls take an interest in technology. According to Sonkoro records from 2014, the program has enrolled 205 girls, and 15 mentors who are either computer scientists or engineers. Enrolment into TNG is open to girls from all walks of life as the trainings are usually mobile which maximises on the number of girls who can access the program. It is the wish of Soronko Solutions that girls get to enrol into university instead of being forced into early marriage.

Kate Sem-Ackah is passionate about matters of the youth in her country and takes every opportunity to be a voice for them. With a Diploma in Basic Education she has taught for a while, before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts programme in Communication Studies. She has written a book: 'Break of Dawn' , that celebrates the struggles and hopes of the youth. She also currently writes serial features for publication and online articles

]]>This StartUp is Giving Girls a Leg Up in Tech Business3D Printing and ZimbabweIoE3D PrintingZimbabwePan ProjectMon, 09 Mar 2015 11:55:02 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2015/3/6/3d-printing-and-zimbabwe52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:54f9f7b2e4b078b09aaa1e9cAfter realizing this opportunity I went out searching and believe it or
not, 3D printers are already present in Zimbabwe, albeit on a small scale.
As I write, there are some hobbyists who are doing 3D printing using PLA
and ABS plastics. The printers are being used for prototyping and can be
used to make once off customised products. One example shown to me was a
case for a Raspberry Pi computing deviceBy Ngonidzashe Katsamba

Most observers have called it the third industrial revolution whilst some think it’s a phase that’s going to come and go. 3D printing or additive manufacturing, moves us away from the Henry Ford era of mass production line, and will bring us to a new reality of customizable, one-off production. It can “print” in plastic, metal, nylon, and over a hundred other materials. It can print manufacturing prototypes, end user products, quasi-legal guns and even car parts. Need a part for your home appliance? As it is now, you’d order from your repairman who gets it from a distributor, who got it shipped from China, where they mass-produced thousands of them at once, probably injection-moulded from a very expensive mould. And in the case of Zimbabwe where people like going direct to the source, you would have to ship it yourself which means waiting for weeks and paying duty just to get your fridge working.

However, in the future, the beginning of which is already here now, you won’t need to go through all this trouble. Instead of buying parts, you will simply 3D print the part right in your home from a CAD file you downloaded on the Internet. Instantly printing parts and entire products, anywhere in the world, is a game changer, but it doesn’t stop there. 3D printing will affect almost every aspect of industry and our personal lives.

Medicine will forever be changed as new bio-printers actually print human tissue for both pharmaceutical testing and eventually entire organs and bones, making transplants easier. Architecture and construction are changing as well. Now, 3D-printed models of complex architectural drawings are created quickly and inexpensively, rather than the expensive and time-consuming process of handcrafting models out of cardboard. Experimental, massive 3D printers are also printing concrete structures, with the goal of someday creating entire buildings with a 3D printer. Art has also been changed. Digital artists are creating magnificent pieces that seem almost impossible to have been made by traditional methods. From sculptures to light fixtures, beautiful objects no longer need to be handcrafted, just designed on a computer.

According to ipo.gov.uk worldwide, Google searches of 3D printers and printing grew by 80% over a period of 3 years i.e. from 2011 to 2013. And surprisingly, compared to past technological trends which have been spear headed by the developing world, a research by associationof3dprinting.com forecasts that demand for 3D printers will be highest in Africa in the period 2015-2017.

These research findings struck me; why would Africa want 3D printers so much? But later I realised that Africa as a continent has not grown in terms of industrialisation and is currently exporting raw materials to the developed world which adds value to these through various manufacturing processes for resell to Africa at a higher cost. Based on this analysis, could Africa be trying to use 3D printing as a technology for manufacturing its own products?

Due to the low cost of setup, compared to conventional manufacturing lines, this could be it. 3D printing could help Africa and Zimbabwe to leap frog straight from Agrarian based economies to 3D printing based industrialised economies. Instead of importing plastic spoons, cups, car parts etc. what if all our plastic needs were catered for locally through use of 3D printers? This will definitely reduce the countries import bill whilst creating employment and self-sustenance. To top it off 3D printers are environmentally friendly since they do not emit carbon fumes and require very little power; compared to conventional production lines.

After realizing this opportunity I went out searching and believe it or not, 3D printers are already present in Zimbabwe, albeit on a small scale. As I write, there are some hobbyists who are doing 3D printing using PLA and ABS plastics. The printers are being used for prototyping and can be used to make once off customised products. One example shown to me was a case for a Raspberry Pi computing device (blue in the image above).

Evidently interest in 3D printing is present in Zimbabwe. However for this technology to take off on a national scale investment is needed and this can be done using the simple server farm concept where a lot of servers are bunched up for maximum productivity. Using the same concept 3D printer farms can be setup where we have warehouses full of 3D printers mass producing products for local and international markets on a large scale. Secondly investment in the setup of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and graphics design courses in tertiary institutions is also needed to ensure we have enough skilled people to work in these 3D printer farms.

Ngonidzashe Katsamba is a passionate Telecoms marketer who holds Honours in Business studies from the University of Zimbabwe, an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications and Digital networks engineering from City SND Guilds UK, a Professional Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK) and is currently work towards Chartered Marketer status. Ngoni has been working in Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry for the past 5 years and he has seen Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry consumption from purely voice to a mixture of voice and data with data on the growth trend.

]]>3D Printing and ZimbabweThe Internet of everything: Is Zimbabwe Ready?TechnologyZimbabweIoEPan ProjectThu, 12 Jun 2014 13:31:12 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2014/6/12/the-internet-of-everything-how-ready-is-zimbabwe52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:5398fea4e4b08dc9ec29e706Currently Zimbabwe's average Internet speed sits at 3.05Mbps which is way
below the global average of 17.9Mbps. Zimbabwe is ranked 106 in the world
in-terms of Internet speed. At such speeds not much can be done in the
connected world thus a lot of investment needs to be done to improve the
bandwidth capacity to make sure that everyone benefits from the Internet of
Everything.By Ngonidzashe Katsamba

The Internet of Everything (IoE) or Internet of Things has become a catch-all phrase to describe adding connectivity and intelligence to just about every device in order to give them special functions. This includes smart cars, smart phones wearable technology and all sorts of internet connected house appliances. According to Gartner there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the Internet of Things by 2020. In another research by ABI Research, more than 30 billion devices will be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things (Internet of Everything) by 2020. Such growth is being fueled by new technologies like IPV6. IPV6 is a new IP address system which eliminates limits on available IP addresses creating enough address capacity for every star in the known universe, that is about 4.8 trillion addresses.

IoE is changing our world, its effect on daily life will be most profound. We will move through our days and nights surrounded by connectivity that intelligently responds to what we need and want, something that’s called the Digital Sixth Sense. Dynamic and intuitive, this experience will feel like a natural extension of our own abilities. We will be able to discover, accomplish and enjoy more. The Internet of Everything (IoE) will create $14.4 trillion worth of business globally which is a combination of increased revenues and lower costs that are created or will migrate among companies and industries from 2013 to 2022. According to John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, IoE will have an impact of $4.6 trillion in the public sector alone. He believes it will have a dramatic impact on everything from city planning, first responders, military, health and dozens of other sectors.

Currently, 99.4% of physical objects that may one day be part of the Internet of Everything are still unconnected. About 10 billion of the 1.5 trillion things globally are connected. At a more personal level, there are approximately 200 connect-able things per person in the world today. Even so, the growth of the Internet has been unprecedented; Cisco estimates that there were about 200 million things connected to the Internet in the year 2000 but now, everything is getting connected. For instance, Sleep Number beds even announced a smart bed that monitors sleep patterns with 500 sensors built into the mattress, sending the results to an app on your smartphone or tablet. Driven by advances in mobile technology and the “bring your own device”(BYOD) trend, among others, the number of connected devices has increased to approximately 10 billion, putting us squarely in the age of the Internet of Everything (IoE)

Number of Devices on the Internet

Zimbabwe, a country which badly needs new revenue streams should try and get as much of the projected US$ 14 trillion as it can. However is it ready, or even close to ready? To answer this question we will discuss the conditions for and implications of the IoE.

Increased focus on connectivity reliability

Connectivity reliability considers network coverage and consistency of service or downtime. As more of the customers’ life depends on the Internet, connectivity will become a must have making unreliable connections intolerable. Currently close to 85% of the country’s 390,580 kms² is covered by cellular data networks, however true broadband speeds can only be experienced in towns and cities making service inconsistent in most parts of the country. To ensure everyone benefits from IoE there is need for operators to invest in ensuring 100% network coverage and optimizing network speeds so that the whole country receives standardised true Broadband speeds.

Demand for faster Internet speeds

Demand for bandwidth will grow as IoE will mean more devices connecting to the Internet including cars, kitchen appliances and personal belongings. This will put a lot of pressure on the country's current Internet infrastructure. Currently Zimbabwe's average Internet speed sits at 3.05Mbps which is way below the global average of 17.9Mbps. Zimbabwe is ranked 106 in the world in-terms of Internet speed. At such speeds not much can be done in the connected world thus a lot of investment needs to be done to improve the bandwidth capacity to make sure that everyone benefits from the Internet of Everything. Imagine your car not braking in time to avoid an accident because the Internet is too slow. Operators can learn from places like Hong Kong which at 64.5Mbps has the fastest Internet in the world.

Growth of On-line Security concerns

Lastly IoE will mean an individual’s personal life is available online; sleeping habits, driving route to work, health records, everything will be out there. This will lead to a growth in on-line security concerns as more and more of people’s lives move to the cloud. Zimbabwe's on-line security track record is sadly shoddy far below the global minimum . With a lot of hack attacks on critical National websites happening in 2013 and 2014 one wonder how robust the country's on-line security system is if ever there is such a thing. Based on this track record, it is evident that there is need to educate the populace on online security, its importance and also investment in robust firewalls and appropriate security systems by local cloud hosting companies.

The final verdict is that Zimbabwe’s infrastructure is still far from the required standard to ensure successful implementation of the Internet of Everything, however far does not mean never.

Ngonidzashe Katsamba is a passionate Telecoms marketer who holds Honours in Business studies from the University of Zimbabwe, an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications and Digital networks engineering from City SND Guilds UK, a Professional Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK) and is currently work towards Chartered Marketer status. Ngoni has been working in Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry for the past 5 years and he has seen Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry consumption from purely voice to a mixture of voice and data with data on the growth trend.

]]>The Internet of everything: Is Zimbabwe Ready?The potential of Molecular Biology in the future AfricaAfricaMedicineResearchFood SecurityPan ProjectThu, 12 Jun 2014 13:30:49 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2014/5/27/the-potential-of-molecular-biology-in-the-future-africa52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:5384ca71e4b06fe80abf62acEnergy is one of the major challenges confronting Africa and it is likely
to grow significantly in the near future. Therefore it is not an exclusive
duty of politicians, industrialists and economists to tackle this problem,
rather, it will take a collective effort of everyone including academics,
farmers and the general publics to invent solutions.By Ishmael Mutanda

Isoprene synthase (IspS) - an enzyme which catalyzes the removal of the phosphate group from dimethylallyl diphoshate (DMADP) to form isoprene in the leaves of some plants. Isoprene emits the leaf via the stomata and is released into the atmosphere where it affects atmospheric air chemistry. It increases the lifespan of methane, a green-house gas. It also leads to formation of ozone. But isoprene is also the building block of rubber and has great potential as a bio-fuel. Not surprisingly, a lot of research is being done on the above enzyme, the reaction pathway and the mechanisms of catalysis to develop tyres, other synthetic rubbers, jet fuel and other fuels from it. The yields of isoprene from IspS from different tree and plant species are too low for now. Can this reaction be the answer to future energy and a more sustainable environment?

Molecular Biology is a branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. Otherwise, it includes study of the structure and function of biologically important molecules including DNA, RNA and proteins and the molecular events that govern cell function. Whilst most analysts are more concerned about growth of business, infrastructure and information technology in the near future in Africa, I am confident that we are also going to witness a scientific “boom” from Cape to Cairo.

To begin with, let me emphasize that science, just like any other academic field, does not exist in isolation. There is a growing interdisciplinary approach to many academic fields so much that in the future it will be difficult to define the boundaries of one discipline from the other. With the birth of globalization, a new field of study called 'the Omics' evolved in the scientific world. This is a real paradigm shift where molecular studies are difined in fields ending with the suffix –omits. Genomics (gene), transcriptomics (transcription-the copying of information from gene to manufacture important molecules like proteins), proteomics (interaction of all proteins in an organism) and metabolomics are the principal omics. Many other fields like foodomics, nutrigenomics etc now exist and include high throughput methods which generate loads and loads of data which is stored in databases for easy access. Talking of scientific databases brings me to the core of this scientific revolution- the need for computers and to be specific, a field known as bioinformatics. Bioinformatics will be key in the growth of Africa, not only in in the science but in various other fields. On molecular biology, there are unimaginable amounts of applications but here, are a few potential applications which are essential for shaping the future of the this our `cradle of mankind`;

Industrial applications- Bacteria, yeast and algae can be used to grow and produce very essential industrial chemicals. Citric acid, malic acid, maltose, dextrose, and a whole range of fine chemicals can be synthesized from bacteria and can be used in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, detergents, cosmetics, food additives etc.

I foresee Africa stepping up fights against diseases which have been terrorizing the continent for centuries

Medical – This is a full subject on its own, known as molecular medicine. Molecular biology is an indispensable technique in medical sciences. In fact, the success of molecular biology over the years was mainly driven, in part, by the need to revolutionize medical approaches. The core techniques of molecular biology like PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) and Western Blot/ immunoblot (where a specific protein is determined in a crude homegenate) are used in clinical diagnostics of bacterial and viral diseas like tuberclosis/TB, and AIDS. Apart from disease diagnosis, pathways of killer diseases like cancer and diabetes are studied using molecular biology techniques thereby helping in developing drugs for these diseases. Development of novel drugs can be achieved by utilizing molecular biology. For example the Methylerythritol pathway (MEP) which I am working on is present in many pathogenic microorganisms but absent in humans so is of interest as a target to treat certain diseases caused by bacteria which rely on that pathway for survival. I foresee Africa stepping up fights against diseases which have been terrorizing the continent for centuries such as Malaria, Tuberclosis, AIDS, Ibola, Kwashiorkor, and Cholera among others using molecular biology techniques. Our survival and continuity partly depends on our ability to develop our own vaccines from the vast bioresources like plants, fungi, animals et cetera which Africa is endowed with in greater proportions. As someone with a background in Food sciences and Nutrition, I should however stress that I am a strong believer in using diet and lifestyle in preventing certain diseases rather than focusing mostly on curing the disease.

Agriculture & Food Security. Molecular biology can be exploited in development of highly productive crop varieties, increase resistance to pests, develop new and effective pesticides specifically for African crops etc. A lot of efforts have been done on African tubers like Yams, cassava etc but I foresee even genetic engineering (Locally driven and scientifically proven) being needed as our population grow and climate change bites in. Plant and animal genes can be modified to increase yields of crops and animal products. Drought resistance and disease tolerance are some of the areas which molecular biologists can concentrate on to help Africa in the future. Climate change is at a faster pace than natural evolution mainly due to human activities like farming and industrialization, so there is a need to develop crop varieties which can give higher yield even in harsh conditions. However, Africa needs a clear, sound policy developed by scientific methods on genetically modified organisms, especially if they are to be used in food and medicinal applications.

Molecular biology can be exploited in development of highly productive crop varieties

Energy and climate change: Molecular biology can be exploited in studies on renewable energy and what we term `Green Chemistry`. Changes in land use and the eradication of natural forests call for innovative scientific solutions to generate `green energy` whilst maintaining a fine balance with food production. Energy is one of the major challenges confronting Africa and it is likely to grow significantly in the near future. Therefore it is not an exclusive duty of politicians, industrialists and economists to tackle this problem, rather, it will take a collective effort of everyone including academics, farmers and the general publics to invent solutions. Besides ethanol used in bio-fuel, many other potential sources can be investigated. Molecular biologists can help in engineering microorganisms for the different reactions involved in the catalytic processes so as to increase yields and tolerance of the microorganisms to their `own waste`.

I am very optimistic that Africa is going to rise up to be a giant in the near future. Everyone has a very important role to play, if we are to achieve this. Here I have just highlighted some but a few of the roles molecular biologists can play, otherwise the list is endless. With so many sub-fields in molecular biology, it is not surprising if we can even end up with our own tailored molecular biology field uniquily applicable to Africa – it is very much possible.

Ishmael Mutanda

Ishmael Mutandais a passionate scientist currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Agriculture at the University of the Ryukyus in Japan. He dreams of a beautiful Africa where the people develop their own medicines, spearhead research, fight and eradicate diseases and develop homegrown solutions to food insecurity, energy, and water sanitation issues. He is from humble beginnings in the southern parts of Zimbabwe where his parents toiled in the sugarcane plantations to support his high school and undergraduate studies.

]]>The potential of Molecular Biology in the future AfricaZimbabwe jumps onto the Startup wagonZimbabweTechnologyStart-upsPan ProjectWed, 28 May 2014 12:58:39 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2014/5/27/zimbabwe-jumps-onto-the-start-up-wagon52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:5384c7c6e4b0870ae9a7de2fA new form of youth empowerment is visibly growing in Zimbabwe. A lot of
techpreneurship challenges and competitions have sprouted all over the
country, some of which have managed to capture the attention
of organizations as big as the United States of America EmbassyBy Ngonidzashe Katsamba

Banner of the Startup Weekend

A new form of youth empowerment is visibly growing in Zimbabwe. A lot of techpreneurship challenges and competitions have sprouted all over the country, some of which have managed to capture the attention of organizations as big as the United States of America Embassy. Of note is an organisation called the Hypercube which through the help of different organizations including Google for Entrepreneurs has managed to host a series of collaborative efforts where youths of all ages use emerging technologies to develop solutions for the day to day problems Zimbabweans face.

Recent events include the Startup Bus challenge which was held on the 17th of November 2013. In this five-day entrepreneurial journey, a diverse group of developers (50%), designers (25%) and business developers (25%) from across Africa and across the globe were put on a bus departing from Harare heading for Cape Town, South Africa. Participants on the bus formed interdisciplinary teams that would conceive, build and launch a Start-up during the 2514 km drive from Harare to Cape town. The bus made 3 main stops in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and lastly Cape Town. Each of the stops included a visit to some of the Startup Bus Location partners including the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, Seed Engine, eKasi Entrepreneurs, 88mph and Bandwidth Barn. From these interactions the participants got the opportunity to interact and learn from some of the location’s prominent entrepreneurs. Upon reaching Cape Town, the participants pitched their prototypes in front of a jury comprising of tech CEO’s and venture capitalists.

Another big event which is helping incubate Zimbabwe's local talent is the Technovation Challenge. In this, challenge teams of 4-5 middle and high school girls identify a problem, invent an App to solve the challenge, code the app, create a company to launch the app in the market, and finally pitch their plan to experts for funding—all in 12 weeks. Through this experience, girls are meant to learn that computer programming gives an individual, regardless of gender or age, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. In this challenge, girls from all walks of life are taught how to create an App, write a business plan, effective presentation, pitching a business idea, business models and revenue generation schemes. All of this is done in bid to teach Zimbabwe's young ladies that anyone can be a successful techpreneur despite gender.

On the 16th of May 2014 the Hypercube hosted the country’s biggest tech startup event ever, the Startup Weekend. This event was sponsored by a lot of local industry players plus a number of big international players such as Amazon, Google for Entrepreneurs, Coca-Cola and the US embassy. In the global context this was the 60th event of its nature worldwide but to Zimbabwe this was a first. Founders and Co-founders like Fahad Hassan CEO and founder of Always Prepped Education, Nqobizitha Mlilo founder of Nafuna TV, Asa Jogi founder of The Jogi, Tommy Deuschle founder of Emerging Ideas and many others from world over were invited to come in as mentors and help guide the young developers. In 54hrs participants were expected to develop innovative sustainable business ideas and pitch them in front of panel of judges. A first prize of USD78 000 worth of prize money and business services was at stake and out of 28 initial pitch’s only 10 got enough votes to move to the development phase. A lot of amazing ideas came out of this challenge but I will only share the highlights.

Kwese music won the inaugural Start-Up Weekend

The first prize of USD $78 000 went to Kwese music for their Ktamba toys idea. Through the use of a Raspberry Pi computer these young men and women created a device that turned any surface into a musical instrument. By connecting this small device into a computer running the Ktamba software you can program a surface of your choice to sound like any instrument when you touch it. A simple object like an apple can become a violin, flute, guitar or even piano. They even made music out of a Banana!

The second prize of USD$ 4610 went to Money game which is a win-win sports betting website that allows anyone to place bets in the comfort of their home without having to queue in the dark, dirty betting bars. This product has worked in other parts of the world and has the potential to open up betting to a lot of Zimbabwean’s who despise the current betting system. The team went on to do a survey and 100% of the sample group said they would rather bet from home than stand in line at a betting bar. The best feature about this website is that you can even live chat with friends whilst you bet, allowing collaborative betting.

For no prize, third place went to combicode which is a mobile phone app aimed at making public transport use safer. With combicode each taxi (combi) gets a QR code stuck on the door and by scanning this QR code you get a full history of the taxi, its driver’s reputation, service history and even police records. The assumption behind this product is that; by openly providing all this information passengers will make more informed decisions when choosing a taxi to board.

Other ideas which did not make it into the top 3 but are worth mentioning include:

AgroBiz, which is a robust virtual agriculture market place linking buyers, suppliers and service providers through a comprehensive website and mobile App.

ValidAID, which is an online platform allowing medical aid clients to check the validity of their medical aid insurance from any internet enabled device.

Q4u; a mobile app that saves you time by reserving a place in a queue of a selected service provider be it tax clearance office, doctors’ offices or government office for you whilst you attend to other things. This app will then notify you when your turn is about to arrive allowing you to dash to the specified office in time to get served.

Students online which is a student collaboration platform allowing students all over the country to meet in one place, share study material, ask questions and share ideas.

Not all of the ideas that come out of such events make it into the business world but it is very exciting to know that technology is shaping Zimbabwe’s youths into progressive entrepreneurs who are proactive in getting solutions to everyday problems.

Ngonidzashe Katsamba

Ngonidzashe Katsamba is a passionate Telecoms marketer who holds Honours in Business studies from the University of Zimbabwe, an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications and Digital networks engineering from City SND Guilds UK, a Professional Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK) and is currently work towards Chartered Marketer status. Ngoni has been working in Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry for the past 5 years and he has seen Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry consumption from purely voice to a mixture of voice and data with data on the growth trend.

]]>Zimbabwe jumps onto the Startup wagonMobile money accelerates financial inclusion in ZimbabweZimbabweBusinessTechnologyBankingPan ProjectMon, 14 Apr 2014 10:24:30 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2014/4/14/mobile-money-accelerates-financial-inclusion-in-zimbabwe52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:534b4d02e4b08ff8ebd33bb7Considering the country’s liquidity crunch, mobile money has ushered in a
new convenient way of doing business. With current mobile money services
you can now send and receive money, pay for groceries in retail outlets,
pay for public transport, make newspaper subscriptions, buy airtime, pay
utility bills like water bills, rent, satellite TV in the absence of hard
cash. Most recently EcoCash introduced EcoCash Save which allows you to
save any amount of money and get zero percent interest loans after 3
months. EcoCash has also gone the extra mile by allowing companies to pay
salaries through mobiles.By Ngonidzashe Katsamba

According to the FinScope survey done by FinMark Trust, a South African research company, 48% of Zimbabwe’s population was financially excluded at the end 2012. FinMark MD, Maya Makanjee said that financial exclusion was particularly high in the rural areas, possibly due to limited access to banks and formal salaried employment. While every second Zimbabwean in urban areas was banked, only 12% of adults in the rural areas had commercial banking products in the same period. On the other hand, the countries mobile penetration was sitting at 104,4%, translating to approximately 13,6 million mobile phone subscribers in the country in March 2014.

Zimbabwe’s mobile operators saw this opportunity and took advantage of this situation by coming up with Mobile money services. A service so disruptive, it is accelerating Zimbabwe’s financial inclusion and giving traditional banks a run for their money. In June 2013 Econet reported that more than US$1.5 billion had been moved through the EcoCash platform from inception in 2011. In January 2014 Econet with a total subscriber base of 8.5 million also claimed to have 3.5 million users on their EcoCash money transfer platform whilst Netone’s One wallet money transfer service experienced a 2000% increase in transaction volume since their re-launch in November 2013; Netone is the 3rd largest operator with approximately 2 million subscribers. Telecel on the other hand launched its Telecash money transfer service in January 2013 and they are expecting 1.6 million users in the first 6 months of launch.

These changes in the financial sector have obviously not gone down well with most local banks. Estimates show that cash circulating in the informal sector is equivalent to the amount of deposits in the formal banking sector which stood at US$4.41 billion at the end of December 2012. Banks are keen to get their hands on this money to boost transaction fees and deposits but as it stands mobile operators are more likely to beat them to it.

Uptake of mobile money in Zimbabwe has been so impressive due to the following factors:

Factors influencing growth of mobile money

Mobile money has a wider reach

No bank has had a distribution network, ATM’s included, as wide as Zimbabwe’s mobile money system. In a mobile money transfer system agents are a very important aspect as they receive and disburse cash sent through the systems for a commission. At the moment EcoCash has 6000 agents whilst Telecash has 2,600 agents dotted across the country. This network allows subscribers to send money anywhere in the county with a guarantee that it will reach its destination. Of late the number has grown so much that the agents have formed an association, the Mobile Money Transfer Agents Association of Zimbabwe (MMTAAZ) to bring together agents facilitating mobile money transactions, to advance their interest and lobby for inclusion in policy making.

In past years a wide network of agents has been used by bigger players as a competitive advantage, but in February 2014 the RBZ issued a directive to ban "exclusivity agreements" within the telecommunications sector in which some companies had barred agents from working with rival firms. This opened up the market and allowed smaller players to catch up at a faster rate.

Convenience

Considering the country's liquidity crunch, mobile money has ushered in a new convenient way of doing business. With current mobile money services you can now send and receive money, pay for groceries in retail outlets, pay for public transport, make newspaper subscriptions, buy airtime, pay utility bills like water bills, rent, satellite TV in the absence of hard cash. Most recently EcoCash introduced EcoCash Save which allows you to save any amount of money and get zero percent interest loans after 3 months. EcoCash has also gone the extra mile by allowing companies to pay salaries through mobiles. According to Econet officials EcoCash saw an 82% increase in the number of companies using EcoCash Payroll in January 2014 amid “liquidity problems” facing banks in the country.

Recently Telecash integrated with the Zim-switch platform used by local banks to interlink their systems, a move which allowed customers to move funds freely between their bank account and Telecash mobile money account. To add to this convenience, mobile money has also eliminated the infamous paper work associated with applying for a bank account. A very welcome development in a country which has more than 50% of its population unemployed.

Mobile money is cheaper

The mobile money transfer service sector has become lucrative in Zimbabwe, especially on the back of bank charges that are considered high. Zimbabwe’s banking sector has been depending on bank charges for survival of late, which has made their charges obscenely high. According to a report by the Zimbabwe Independent, Zimbabwean individuals and corporates are forking out between US$25 to US$50 per month in bank charges. Figures obtained by business digest from commercial banks in 2011 showed that an individual is charged between US$1 and US$5 for a single withdrawal, while companies pay up to US$9 whilst the regional average is $US2 for individuals and US$6 for companies. Banks are also charging as much as US$20 for a single deposit of bank notes transaction. On the other hand the minimum fee to transfer money using mobile money services is US$0.09 and the maximum you can be charged for sending the maximum amount is US$4.95 for registered customers. Also, interest on loans from banks can be as high as 25% whilst EcoCash recently launched EcoCash loans of up to US$500 at zero% interest.

Easy accessibility

Opening a mobile money account on any of the operators in Zimbabwe is free and all you need to start using mobile money services in Zimbabwe is a basic mobile phone; it doesn’t even need to be a smart phone. Compare this to opening a bank account for at least $25 and filling in a heap of forms. Through the use of USSD codes mobile operators have managed to open up mobile money services to all cell phones and with the cheapest mobile phone retailing for US$15 including a solar charger, everyone can use mobile money.

Mobile money could mark a new economic era for Zimbabwe, an era in which everyone has access to quality affordable financial service. Now is the time for banks to act before they get pushed off the playing field with their eyes wide open.

Ngonidzashe Katsamba is a passionate Telecoms marketer who holds Honours in Business studies from the University of Zimbabwe, an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications and Digital networks engineering from City SND Guilds UK, a Professional Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK) and is currently work towards Chartered Marketer status. Ngoni has been working in Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry for the past 5 years and he has seen Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry consumption from purely voice to a mixture of voice and data with data on the growth trend.

]]>Mobile money accelerates financial inclusion in ZimbabweZimbabwe's Growing Demand for DataTechnologyZimbabweBusinessTenford ChitananaMon, 31 Mar 2014 03:43:01 +0000http://www.publikaccessnetwork.com/tech/2014/3/14/growing-demand-for-data-in-zimbab52b489ede4b01176ccb429a3:532231b8e4b03e8e5f0f8050:53223332e4b0182e183b8684At only 40% penetration, Zimbabwe still has an untapped potential market of
60% of its 13 million population, yet to be connected to the Internet. This
presents an opportunity to service providers to build relevant and
affordable Internet packages which will enable them to reach the remaining
60% as well as to maintain the growth trend. Asby Ngonidzashe Kasamba

Photo: Lucky Aaroni

Whilst every other sector in Zimbabwe’s economy has been shrinking, the telecommunications sector continues to exhibit some of the highest growth rates in the economy. The first phase of the industry’s growth was fueled by the demand for voice, which was delivered via first generation GSM networks which later evolved into the 3G networks in recent years. The industry is however changing, with a new growth phase based on the demand for data. As more data communication applications are being developed and cheaper data-enabled devices are being produced, the demand for data in Zimbabwe has grown beyond expectations. Recent statistics by Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), show that Zimbabwe has reached 40% Internet penetration compared to 0.4% in 2000, whilst in the same period, the country’s mobile penetration rate has grown from 2.5% to 103.5%. Whilst industry commentators have focused on the rapid take-up in voice, the growth in data has often been ignored. However every service provider – mobile, fixed and other – is focusing on data for new revenue growth. So what are the major drivers leading this change? What implications does this have for service providers? What opportunities might arise from this?

Drivers leading to growth in demand for data in Zimbabwe

Techzim reported in July 2013 that there were 1.1 million active Zimbabweans on Facebook and this number had increased by 62% four months prior to that. The rapid adoption in social media and community messaging including, but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, and Viber has driven first-time Internet usage in many markets as well as in Zimbabwe, and often this is on the mobile device. These free to download applications often compete with traditional revenue streams from mobile service providers, [like phone calls and text messaging] but these same service providers also want to drive data usage, thus often leaving them in a quandary on how to position themselves.

A leading driver of data usage is video applications. YouTube is clearly the leader in this sphere with over six billion hours of video watched every month by one billion unique users. Video on demand and IPTV services will further drive data demand. Netflix is rumoured to make its first launch in Africa in 2014.

Another factor-driving demand for data is the widespread availability of cheaper data-enabled devices as opposed to pricing of smartphones, tablets, and other Internet-devices five years ago. This has been aided, in part, by the parallel grey import market.

The cheapest Internet-enabled phones are now retailing at $50, this has lowered the barrier of entry of affordability to having an Internet-enabled device. Chinese and Indian manufacturers are seeking to lower this further to sub-$50 in 2014. Despite the recent competitive wars on data bundles by the leading telecoms companies, mobile internet access remains relatively expensive in Zimbabwe.

Globally, the growth in operating systems like iOS, Android, and associated apps promote cloud usage by encouraging data syncing across devices, frequent updates, and online data storage. Dropbox is one example of an everyday cloud application. Dropbox recently reported signing up 25 million users in the last 6 months of 2013. Whilst not country specific, it does indicate that the global community of data users is moving more and more to the cloud, and as the number of cloud adopters goes up, so does their data requirements. Pyramid Research predicts that in 2014, one in four people will have a personal cloud account and that such accounts will become strategic for customer ownership.

The Zimbabwean consumers’ exposure to the developed world in terms of data apps, pricing, and speed is changing local user expectations on data services. The Internet of Everything (IoE) is an emerging theme in the developed world where literally everything is connected to the Internet including television, fridge, car and any other household device such as toothbrush (yes, really!). The emergence of smart home devices like Nest and Smart TVs is the first in this new era of connected household devices that has already seen increased data demands on service providers. Wearable technologies emerged from the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January as the technology trend to watch out for in 2014.

Implications and opportunities

This new demand will drive service provider strategies to meet this demand for data including the need to invest in increased data capacity on their networks, providing network redundancy, data security, and privacy systems as consumers want and demand more reliable, affordable, fast, and secure connections with 100% uptime. Zimbabwean service providers must now meet the new customer expectation. Not every service provider will have the financial means or capability to do so, which in turn could lead to consolidation in the market.

At only 40% penetration, Zimbabwe still has an untapped potential market of 60% of its 13 million population, yet to be connected to the Internet. This presents an opportunity to service providers to build relevant and affordable Internet packages which will enable them to reach the remaining 60% as well as to maintain the growth trend. As documented by the World Bank, for every 10% increase in broadband penetration, the underlying GDP could grow as much as 2.5%.

Ngonidzashe Katsamba is a passionate Telecoms marketer who holds Honours in Business studies from the University of Zimbabwe, an Advanced Diploma in Telecommunications and Digital networks engineering from City SND Guilds UK, a Professional Diploma in Marketing from CIM (UK) and is currently work towards Chartered Marketer status. Ngoni has been working in Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry for the past 5 years and he has seen Zimbabwe’s Telecoms industry consumption from purely voice to a mixture of voice and data with data on the growth trend.